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Stones of Göbeklitepe, SE Anatolia, Turkey: an Example of the Shaping of Cultural Heritage by Local Geology Since the Early Neolithic

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Abstract

Göbeklitepe is an UNESCO World Heritage site located in SE Turkey, dating back to 11.7 ka BCE. It consists of laterally aligned, circular rooms without doors and T-shaped limestone columns up to 5 m high, placed in the middle and in the walls of the rooms. Most columns contain animal drawings. Studies have suggested that the site had a special function, e.g., as a temple. Following ~ 2 ka of use, the site was deliberately filled in with stones. Because the site is older than the beginning of the agricultural period, it is unclear what civilization constructed such large structures with only hand axes and what the meaning of the figures on the columns is. Here, the Göbeklitepe stone geology is discussed for the first time. We explain how the columns were produced from Early Miocene Fırat Formation limestones, while the filling stones originated from the thinly bedded Eocene Gaziantep Formation. Both formations are Midyat Group marine units that formed on the northern margins of the Arabian platform during the last stages (Eocene-Early Miocene) of the Neotethys. The lateral equivalents of these units are the building stones of several historical sites in Middle Eastern and African countries, like Turkey. The building stones have traditionally been named according to the production localities, i.e., Şanlıurfa Stone, regardless of the geological characteristics. We suggest emphasizing the geological diversity in names to improve the sustainability and reliability of the production and commercial use of natural stones.

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Acknowledgements

Field studies of this project were realized thanks to the logistical support of the Turkish National Commission for UNESCO and Şanlıurfa Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism. Petrographic and mineralogical analyses were completed in Ankara University Geological Engineering Laboratories. Members of Jemirko (Turkish ProGEO group) contributed to the desktop studies and preparation of this paper. Dr. Kıymet Deniz analyzed samples in Raman microscopy, Yaşar Suludere helped for the preparation of Figures 1 and 5, Ms Reetta Saikku read and corrected the text, and the journal reviewers improved significantly the early version of the manuscript. Authors are grateful for all contributions.

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  1. Ankara Üniversitesi Jeoloji Mühendisliği Bölümü, 06830, Gölbaşı, Ankara, Turkey

    Nizamettin Kazancı

  2. JEMİRKO Jeolojik Mirası Koruma Derneği, 06100, Maltepe, Ankara, Turkey

    Nizamettin Kazancı

  3. UNESCO Natural Sciences Sector, Paris, France

    Özlem Adıyaman Lopes

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  1. Nizamettin Kazancı
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Correspondence to Nizamettin Kazancı.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Global Heritage Stone Resource: The sustainable way forward.

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Kazancı, N., Lopes, Ö.A. Stones of Göbeklitepe, SE Anatolia, Turkey: an Example of the Shaping of Cultural Heritage by Local Geology Since the Early Neolithic. Geoheritage 14, 57 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12371-022-00694-9

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